BENEO is part of the Südzucker Group and a member of the International Pharmaceutical Excipients Council (IPEC). The company produces galenIQ™ (Isomalt Ph. Eur., BP, USP-NF, JP), a multifunctional range of water-soluble filler-binders, according to the current GMP conditions for pharmaceutical excipients. galenIQ™ is available in a wide variety of median particle sizes, morphologies and solubilities, is physically and chemically stable and non-hygroscopic. It is therefore used in solid and liquid dosage forms, such as tablets, sachets, effervescent, lozenges and syrups in the fields of pharmaceutical applications and nutraceutical supplements.
Spotlight on taste
Besides these technical advantages, BENEO’s excipient offers one vital sensory benefit: it enhances the palatability of the final form. Derived from beet sugar, it has a sweet taste and promotes a pleasant taste profile in pharmaceutical formulations. With its well-balanced sweetness, the filler-binder has no significant off-taste or aftertaste. galenIQ™ may reduce the bitter taste of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) as well as potential unpleasant taste of ingredients such as plant extracts. It also contributes to a pleasant mouthfeel in the final pharmaceutical or nutraceutical product. galenIQ™ is the optimal choice for the formulation of solid as well as liquid oral applications and is particularly useful in paediatric formulations.
Mini-sized yet maximum efficacious
Although tablets are still the most widely used drug delivery system, many end users, including young children, the elderly and patients with dysphagia, have difficulty swallowing conventional sized tablets. Multiparticulate forms such as minitablets (1–4 mm diameter) offer a convenient solution. They are easy to swallow, can be designed to disintegrate rapidly in the buccal cavity or can be sprinkled onto soft food. However, successfully manufacturing minitablets requires the use of a filler-binder with certain characteristics.
BENEO’s galenIQ™ offers excellent flowability, great compressibility and ensures content uniformity. These functionalities enable high tablet hardness at a low compression force, which is key for the production of minitablets using sensitive multiple-tip punches.
Suitable excipient for Continuous Manufacturing tableting
When it comes to the production of tablets, continuous manufacturing tableting is one of the most popular trends at the moment. It could become the future standard for production of oral solid dosage forms as It allows manufacturers to save costs and implement less complex production processes. Continuous manufacturing, as opposed to traditional batch manufacturing, is an integrated process where the input materials are continuously fed into and transformed. The processed output materials are continuously removed from the system.[1] This is why high feeding performance and consistent flow of materials are crucial for continuous manufacturing processes.A recently published comparative scientific study[2] demonstrates that BENEO’s agglomerated pharmaceutical excipient is suitable for continuous manufacturing of tablets. The results show that compared to the reference polyol mannitol, galenIQ™ 721 exhibits a lower electrostatic charging propensity, as well as a significantly lower adhesion tendency to stainless steel surfaces. Moreover, the excipient is highly stable against segregation, thus further contributing to its excellent feeding performance.
galenIQ™ is proven to fit for most versatile delivery systems such as tablets, minitablets, sachets, effervescent, lozenges and syrups. No matter which form is chosen, the excipient convinces due to its technical parameters and its palatability. Derived from sugar beet it is suitable for plant-based pharmaceutical products and nutraceutical applications.
For more information, please visit www.galenIQ.com or send an e-mail to galenIQ@beneo.com
[1] FDA, Modernizing the Way Drugs Are Made: A Transition to Continuous Manufacturing: https://www.fda.gov/drugs/news-events-human-drugs/modernizing-way-drugs-are-made-transition-continuous-manufacturing
[2] Beretta, M., Kruisz, J., Hörmann-Kincses, T.R. et al. Assessment of Tribo-charging and Continuous Feeding Performance of Direct Compression Grades of Isomalt and Mannitol Powders. AAPS PharmSciTech 24, 91 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1208/s12249-023-02552-5
